The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-11-03
SHEETS OF FLAME.
The Center of st. Louis Convulsed at
an Early Hour.
A Gasoline Explosion Lifts a Building
from its Foundation.
Seventeen Persons Buried Beneath
the Ruins.
A Desperate Struggle With Flames
and Falling Walls.

ST. LOUIS, Nov. IA Flash, follow
ed by dull roar and then a crash of
walls, convulsed the center of this city
at 2:03 this morning, and the clamor
that followed carried the rumor of a
horrible calamity that had befallen
three families while wrapped in
slumber. An explosion of gasoline in
the rear of the cellar of, Micheal New
teenth street, had lifted the two-story
building from its foundation and
dropped it back again in a mass, be-
meath which were buried seventeen
persons. They were Micheal Newman,
aged 80 years: Mrs. Annie Newman,
aged 40 years; Miss Mamie Newman,
aged Is years; John Newman, aged is
years; Nellie Newman. aged Is
years; Kate Newman, aged II
years; Eddie Newman, aged ID years;
ChaS Devere, Mrs. ChaS. Devere,
of Columbus, Kentucky; Charles
Efferd, Miss Hatty Bryant and Mrs.
Beasley. The messenger of death had
scarcely wrecked the place before a
| devasting fire swept through the ruins
and seemed bent on internal work.
Human aid was quickly on the scene,
| but in such confusion that the horror
| seemed to increase with their efforts
to relieve the imprisoned victims.
The people of the neighborhood were
| dumfounded. Many bruised, and
none in their normal state, roamed
| about the streets seeking friends,
demanding explanations or moaning
from bruises. The sheets of flame that
had swooped down upon the ruins
| baff1ed the efforts of the firemen, who
began the first systematic work, and
| for few minutes bid fair to spread
into the adjoining property. But good
work won, and then began a search
| for the dead. The stove was
on the corner of the alley
running through from fourteenth to
Fargee street, and was the north room
of the building, covering Nos. z. and
II South Fourteenth street. The build
ing, two-story brick, was completed
a short time ago, and only one store
room was occupied. All of the upstairs
portion was occupied by tenants. Mr.
Newman and family of seven lived over
the store. The explosion was terrific.
The entire block of buildings north of
and across the alley from the building
in which the explosion took place were
Quilted by the blast. The Newman
block was crushed in and covered by
the roof. which had settled down upon
the ruins, making barrier through
which the reScuers had to cut their
way. Beams and walls impeded their
progress and threatening walls on either
side overhuug, ready to crush the gal
liant men who pressed to the spot where
calls for help directed them. The roof
was soon removed and in the debris
were revealed the mangled forms of
the groceryman's family. Two ladies,
Newman daughters, were first re-
moved. Mamie, 10 years of age, was
still alive, but, mangled by timbers and
charred by the fire, was beyond hope
of recovery. Her sister Nellie. girl
of Is years, moaned piteouSly for her
sister. and seemed to forget her own
desperate injuries in her mournfu1 in
quiries. For the half hour that these
two had been imprisoned their efforts
had been to drag near to each other,
when their escape was impossible.
Neither can survive. The rest OF the
Newman family were dead. Some sat
upright and others were doubled in
their bed. Life had evidently fled
while they were wrapped in Slumber.
In the same building over store room
No. 8 lived Chas. Devere, a travelling
salesman. and his wife. Visiting them
was Hattie Brown OF Columbus, Ken
tecky. She was badly injured but mi
racuOusly escaped death, the only per-
son who passed the horrible ordeal and
lives to tell the story OF escape. She
aWoke to find herself buried beneath
| heavy timberS somewhere against a
wall. When her eyes opened she be-
held thrilling scene. On one side of
the wall the fire reached to the sky.
while the crashing of timbers and the
clatter of iron caused storm of dan
gerous missiles to fit about her head.
The screams of those in the
| adjoining buildings rang in her ears.
Nerved to desperate struggle by the
grOans of the dying. she essayed to eS-
| cape, but found her efforts baffied at
every turn. She was firmly pinned by
beam across her thigh and an iron
rod over one ankle. She could not tell
what means she employed to get out,
| but as she struggled in vain the fire
was blown towards her until her long
and the odor of burning meat
| penetrated her lungs and almost suffo-
| Gated the brave girl who battled brave
/ " for life. Relief appeared HOPELESS
and just as she sank back in despair
the ruins settled down and the over
hanging timbers were raised from the
limbs which were fettered in deadly
embrace. No time was to be lost as
the fire pressed close around her.
| With extraordinary effort Miss Brown
sprang to her feet and made her way
| through the ruins. Again and again
she fell and she says her strength was
completely exhausted and she stumbled
forward falling headlong into an open
space where she was unconscious for a
few minutes but she was restored by a
cool breeze that brought the blood to
her brain and she again rose to her
feet only to find herself in the cOmpar-
alive safety of a small rear yard.
thence she ran to neighbOrS house
and climbing through balcony sank
down in swoon. The neighbor found
her there and carried her into the
street where she was given skirt and
some clothing.
| Over storeroom No. IL resided Mrs
Besely. She was buried so deeply In
the debris that search for her was
given up until others were recovered.
Besides those injured in this building
were many persons in the neighbOr-
hood more or less cut and bruised from
flying splinters and bricks, which did
not alone destroy the Newman
store for several blocks on either side
windows and in the immediate Vicin-
ity on the opposite side Of the way
fronts of buildings were mashed In
by the terrible force and scarcely a
window or door remains. Walls were
cracked, floors gave way and plaster
fell in every house within radius
of hundred yards and upon the heads
1 Oh JlO S1Ccp1Ek ICS11CueS Ac1l Will dN'
full suddenneSS. Their mad rush anC
fight, from they knew not what, in the
confusion worse COMPOUNDED, added
more TO their injury. The scene of ter
ror on the street was illuminated by thu
CHASTITY glare of the consuming flames
and figures wildly running and gestie
ulating, robed only in Aight-dreSSes
wildly told the dread uncertainty ant
fright that had seized the community
The din was enhanced by the rumbl
of ambulances and humping of fir
engines. A little while and human IA
ture asserted itself and the organizes
efforts of the city were of avail TIL
ambulance service was excellent; wag
ons were sent to the scene and brough
skilled help, and many physicians wer
on hand as soon as their service
could be used. Nothing was spared
relieve the sufferers and as they wei
removed from the debris they weE